Music
Press
Banjos, accordion, violin, upright bass, ukulele, cello, crosscut saw: These ladies have a range of instruments to attack pretty much any ditty from every angle. Luchord's kazoo warms up "Sugar and Spice"; Speidel's saw adds bittersweet melancholy to "Johnny" and "Sleep"; Muntal's gentle banjo complements her singsongy rhymes on "Blue Skies," a send-up to the naivete of those clouds "floating in that space behind your eyes." Garden of Eve is an accomplished debut.
-Chuck Adams - Eugene Weekly
"The Bad Mittens did not let me down one bit"
- Audience member
"I hope you get those saw lessons from the Bad Mitten Orchestre and they don’t smash a bottle over your brow." - Chuck Adams Blog
"There is a new scene rising in American Music, and The Bad Mitten Orchestre is among those leading the charge. Keep an eye on this band." - Walker T Ryan- Roots artist
You are in for a crazy night of laughter, creative and innovative music, and an all round great time as a wide array of instruments are played along with extraordinary vocals. We will all be out of our seats dancing and having an uproarious great time.
---Katie Cavanaugh, award winning singer/songwriter and Harmony House Concerts Coordinator - Harmony House Concerts
Discography
Garden of Eve (2007), LP.
Bad Mitten Orchestre: Self-Titled. (Out of Print)
Saints of Blue Avenue (2009), to be released Spring 2009
Photos
Bio
The Bad Mitten Orchestre began in spring of 2007 when classical pianist/accordionist Naima Muntal met gritty folk guitarist Heather Neilsen at a Saturday market in Eugene, Oregon. Discovering a mutual love for unique, witty lyrics and eclectic, folk-influenced instrumentation, the two united, chasing modest dreams of playing at house parties, campfires, and dive bar patios. By their first week playing music together, they found themselves driving to the Seattle Folklife festival with cellist Sarah Lucord, whom they had met days prior. Soon they accidentally met like-minded musicians Baylin Speidel (musical saw, ukulele), Virginia Luff (upright bass), and Morgan Hager (violin, banjo) and formed a full-fledged, six-woman band.
Much to their surprise, they developed a solid and loyal fan base in Oregon over the following months. They were soon asked to play their first of many shows at Eugene's most popular music venue, the WOW Hall, with nationally adored folk band The Devil Makes Three. In anticipation of the show, the fledgling band rushed to Sprout Sudios and on a modest budget, spent eight hours straight recording their first full-length album, Garden of Eve, which has since made its way around the country and overseas.
Band members came and went... Heather moved to New Orleans to play saxaphone in a marching band, and Ila Kriegh, one of the greatest undiscovered vocalists of her generation, joined the project. Morgan left to spend time in Israel, Baylin parted to focus on another musical project, and Virginia Luff moved to Texas. This did not discourage the Mittens, however, and they soon met extraordinary bassist/guitarist Andy Kuss, and fiddle player Jessica Kiera, whose authentic strains are uncannily reminiscent of the earliest folk recordings.
Less than two years later, the band has matured volumes, and is preparing for their second West Coast tour. Under more favorable budgetary and time constraints, they have begun recording their sophomore album, Saints of Blue Avenue, out Spring 2009. They have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with such wildly popular artists and bands as the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Asylum Street Spankers, Eef Barzelay, Jason Webley, Vagabond Opera, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Islands, Vermillion Lies, and Hillstomp. They have been heard on underground radio stations in Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, California, New York, and Australia, and how their music has found such wide circulation is still a happy mystery to the band members themselves.
The Bad Mitten Orchestre is a brand new band rising quickly in the underground folk scene and their impassioned lyrics, eclectic instrumentation, and quirky disposition have earned them adoration from audience members young and old. They plan to eventually travel the world, sharing laughter and good humor everywhere they go.
Links
